Decoding the top wicket-takers in women's T20Is (2023)
The year has come to an end and some exceptional WT20I performances were coinciding with the 2023 Women's T20 World Cup. It was a remarkable year for bowlers as the likes of Sophie Ecclestone, and Deepti Sharma exploded with sensational feats along with a few others. Here we decode the top wicket-takers in WT20Is in 2023 (only major teams).
A sensational year in WT20Is for WI stalwart Hayley Matthews
Apart from having a sensational year with the bat in WT20Is, Hayley Matthews delivered with the ball as well by picking 19 scalps from 14 matches at 16.21. The experienced spinner claimed her best figures of this year 4/14 against Ireland. This is her fourth time in WT20Is with 10-plus wickets in a calendar year. Overall, Matthews has scalped 91 wickets in 88 WT20Is.
SL's veteran spinner Inoka Ranaweera scalped 19 wickets in WT20Is
Sri Lanka's veteran spinner Inoka Ranaweera had a strong 2023 in WT20Is as she returned with 20 wickets from 16 matches at 16.75. The 37-year-old claimed five wickets in the 2023 Women's T20 World Cup. Ranaweera scalped 2/21 in the Asian Games final against India as SL had to settle for the silver medal. Overall, Ranaweera has amassed 88 scalps in 78 WT20Is.
Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma had a strong year in WT2OIs
Indian all-rounder Deepti also left her mark in WT20Is this year as she scalped 21 wickets from 19 matches at an average of 16.38. Deepti claimed six wickets in the 2023 Women's T20 World Cup. This is her second consecutive time with 20-plus WT20I wickets in a calendar year. Deepti also completed her 100 WT20I scalps this year, claiming 108 wickets in total.
A splendid year for Australian speedster Megan Schutt
Australian speedster Schutt maintained her consistency in 2023 as she amassed 21 wickets from 14 matches at an average of 15.57. The 30-year-old fast bowler claimed her career-beat bowling figures of 5/15 against Pakistan. She was the second-highest wicket-taker in the 2023 T20 World Cup with 10 scalps as they won the trophy. Schutt is the joint-highest wicket-taker in WT20Is with 130 wickets.
A remarkable year for England's Sophie Ecclestone (WT20Is)
It was indeed a remarkable year for Ecclestone as she picked up 23 wickets from only 11 WT20Is at an average of 10.60. She has been England's mainstay for some years now and in this time Ecclestone has grown from strength to strength. The left-arm spinner was the highest wicket-taker in the 2023 Women's T20 World Cup with 11 scalps.
